Apparatus for weaving fabrics of plastic materials



E. WELTl 1, 2

APPARATUS FOR WEAVING FABRICS OF PLASTIC MATERIALS June 3, 1947.

Filed Oct. 25, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet l INV TOR fier /W A ORNEY June 3, 1947. wELTl 2,421,532

APPARATUS FOR WEAVING FABRICS OF PLASTIC MATERIALS INVENTOR A RNEY Patented June 3, 1947 APPARATUS FOR WEAVIN G FABRICS OF PLASTIC MATERIALS Edward Welti, Flushing, N. Y., assignor to Hafner Associates, Inc., Long Island City, N. Y., a corporation of New York I Application October 25, 1944, Serial No. 560,234

4 Claims.

This invention relates to a method and apparatus for weaving fabrics and more particularly to fabrics composed of thermoplastic filaments.

It has been found that due to the peculiar nature of thermoplastic filaments, it is impossible to handle them according to the conventional procedure. These filaments are generally made by extruding resin compounds, preferably thermoplastic resins, into strands or yarn. These filaments, however, are stiff and lack the flexibility of the conventional yarns, and therefore the warp and weft filaments do not interlace properly. As a result the fabric made from these plastic filaments shows an extreme roughness and looseness which renders it impractical for most uses.

Parenthetically it might be remarked that these fabrics have found great favor as upholstery fabrics, curtains, screenings, etc., and those made of thermoplastic filaments are in demand wherever it is desirable to reduce the fire hazard, for example in aeroplanes. However, because of the imperfection in the cloth heretofore made, it has not found any practical application except possibly in connection with screenings.

Therefore among the objects of the invention is to produce a fabric from thermoplastic filaments which is firm and smooth of construction which renders it useful with great advantage i as upholstery fabrics and curtains, etc.

More specifically, among the objects is to interlace the warp and weft threads compactly and to cause them to bind together firmly and solidly in the finished fabric.

Another object is to reduce the manufacturing cost of this type of fabric.

The above and other objects of the invention may be accomplished by heating the plastic fibres preliminary to the interlacing process to a temperature where the plastic becomes relatively soft and pliable. Then, when the fibres are cooled, the warp and weft threads will become bound together firmly and solidly.

The invention is preferably carried out on an automatic loom, namely a loom in which the weft bobbins are automatically inserted into the shuttle upon the ejection of the finished bobbin. It should be understood however, that the invention is not limited to this particular type of loom, but may be practiced on any type of 100m as long as it is equipped to cause the warp and weft threads to interlace while in soft and pliable condition.

For the purpose of illustration, the invention is shown in the accompanying drawing applied to an automatic loom;

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a schematic view of the loom.

Figure 2 is a perspective fragmentary view partly in section showing thebobbin magazine.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary sectional view of the warp beam.

Figure 4, is a schematic view of a modification.

Referring in greater detail to Figure 1 of the drawing, the loom comprises the warp beam Ill on which are supported the warp threads H which run through the heddles l2 to provide the shed l3.

The weft bobbins M are housed in the bobbin magazine indicated generally at IS. The weft bobbins I! are inserted automatically into the shuttle as the finished bobbin ,is ejected.

The loom also comprises the conventional lay beam I i which is connected to a rocker shaft (not shown) by means of the rod l8, the take up beam IS, the press roll 20, and the cloth roll 2|.

Referring in more detail to Figure 2 of the drawing, the bobbin. magazine comprises a pair of spacedplates 22 and 23 having slots or guideways 24 in which the bobbins M are accommodated. As the bobbins are used up and. new bobbins inserted into the shuttle, the bobbins in the magazine drop down in the guideways 24 which at the lower ends merge in a single guideway 25 from which the bobbin drops into the slot 26 in the lay beam I! where it is received by the shuttle. The shuttle is reciprocat'ecl by the conventional picker stick 27.

One end of each of the weft threads 28 which are wound on the bobbins I4 is attached to the bracket 29 in the usual manner.

The loom also includes the breast beam 30, which, by means of rod 3| and brackets 32, is connected to the rod 33 which in turn is mounted between the plates 22 and 23 of the bobbin magazine.

The foregoing structure is conventional and is included merely for the better understanding of the invention.

The invention as previously indicated, contemplates in terms of broad inclusion, the preheating'of the plastic fibres to a temperature where the plastic material becomes sufficiently soft and pliable to cause the Warp and weft threads to interlace. In order to accomplish the latter, it is preferable that the weft filaments as well as the warp filaments should be heated, but it has been found that in some circumstances the heating of one or the other, preferably the weft 3 filaments, is suillcient. The temperature to which the fibres should be heated is about 110 to 120 F.

The heating of the weft filaments 26 is accomplished by means of a pair of heating elements 34 which are inserted between the outer edges of the plates 22 and 23. Thus the bobbin magazine becomes a partly enclosed box which is heated on two sides. It will of course be understood that the heating elements may be arranged in some other manner the important thing being that the bobbins should be maintained at an elevated temperature.

The current to the heating elements 34 is supplied by the wires 35 leading to the thermostatic switch 36 which in turn is connected to the main power supply by means of the cable 31.

The temperature inthe bobbin magazine is controlled by the heat sensitive capsule 36 which is inserted into the plate 22 and connected to the thermostatic switch 36 by means of the wire 39.

The warp filaments I l which are wound on the warp beam III are heated through contact with the metallic drum 40 which in turn is heated by the heating element H. The heating element M is mounted in the hub 42 of the warp beam and which is journalled in the bearing block 43.

The current to the heating element 41 is supplied through the wires 44 which are connected to the insulated block 45 which rotates with the hub 42. The insulated block is provided with a slip ring 46 against which engages the brush 41 of the thermostatic switch 48 which latter is mounted on the bearing block 43. Another slip ring 46a is provided on the insulated block 41, against which engages the brush 41a.

The temperature within the drum 46 is controlled by the heat sensitive capsule 56 mounted 4 tation. On the other hand, the invention may lend itself to a variety of expressions within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a 100m for weaving fabrics, said loom having a pair of spaced plates between which are supported a series of weft bobbins for automatic and successive insertion into a shuttle, a pair of heating elements mounted intermediate the lateral ends of said plates so as to form a partly enclosed box.

2. In a loom for weaving fabrics, said loom having a pair of spaced plates between which are supported a series of weft bobbins for automatic and successive insertion into a shuttle, a pair of heating elements mounted intermediate the lateral ends of said plates so as to form a partly enclosed box and thermostatic means for controlling the temperature within said box.

in the end plate 5| by means of the insulated nipple 52. The capsule 50 is connected to the switch 46 by means of the wire 53, the slip ring 46a and the brush "a.

In the modification shown in. Figure 4, the warp filaments are heated by contact with a special roller 54 containing a heating element 55 of similar construction and mounted similarly to the heating element 4! in Figure-3.

The warp threads are kept in contact with the heated roller 54 by means of the rollers 56.

It will be understood that this disclosure is given by way of example and not by way of limi- 3. In a loom for weaving fabrics, saidloom having a pair of spaced plates for supporting a series of weft bobbins preliminarily to insertion thereof into a shuttle. and a pair of heating elements mounted intermediate the lateral ends of said plates so as to form a partly enclosed box.

4. In a loom for weaving fabrics, said loom having a pair of spacedplates for supporting a series of weft bobbins preliminarily to insertion thereof into a shuttle, a pair of heating elements mounted intermediate the lateral ends of said plates so as to form a partly enclosed box, and thermostatic means for controlling the temperature within said box.

EDWARD WELTI.

nm-snsncss orrsn The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,364,404 Thomas Dec. 5, 1944 2,096,152 Weinberg Oct. 19, 1937 1,686,548 Blanchard Oct. 9. 1928 1,837,616 Greenwald Dec. 22, 1931 1,854,693 Dickie Apr. 19, 1932 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 513,354 Great Britain Oct. 10, 1939 

